Kim Nam-guk: "The Democratic Party Distanced Itself from Cho Kuk to Avoid Losing Support"

Criticism of Former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol as "Hypocrisy" and "Self-Justification"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Kim Nam-guk, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, commented on former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk, saying, "The party was practicing social distancing because it was worried about suffering losses," and assessed that "we owe a great debt to the people." He also sharply criticized former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, calling him "hypocritical."

On the 14th, Kim appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "At that time, the public called for protecting Cho Kuk, and prosecutorial reform was about to fail and collapse, but it was ordinary citizens who rekindled the dying flame of prosecutorial reform," adding, "In fact, I think the Democratic Party owes a great debt to the people regarding the protection of Cho Kuk and prosecutorial reform."

He continued, "However, I believe it is difficult to consider that issue as a major cause of this election defeat, and ultimately, the core of this election loss was the issues of livelihood and making a living."

He expressed that linking former Minister Cho Kuk to the election results is inappropriate. Kim said, "If we talk about the protection of Cho Kuk or prosecutorial reform, the public might see it as talking about something completely irrelevant and off-topic, so a proper diagnosis of the problem is truly necessary."

Regarding the bill to completely abolish the prosecution's investigative authority and establish the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, he said, "The drafting work has been completed, and since this is a major transformation of the criminal justice system, procedures such as public hearings and listening to expert opinions, as well as considering the opposition party's views during the process, should be followed."

Kim also referred to the investigation into allegations of prosecutorial drinking parties related to former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "It seems somewhat hypocritical for former Prosecutor General Yoon to talk about fairness and social justice," adding, "Especially since various suspicions related to his family have been raised and are serious."

Regarding media reports that Yoon's investigation of former Minister Cho Kuk was aimed at protecting President Moon Jae-in, Kim said, "I think it was ultimately a strategy to cover weaknesses and attract moderate progressives ahead of the presidential election."

Kim criticized, "As soon as he took off the prosecutor general's uniform, he started engaging in politics, and all the investigations he conducted under various administrations have become political investigations. I think former Prosecutor General Yoon is rationalizing himself in that regard."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.